Boy Scout Activities

The Patrol:
As soon as a boy joins the Boy Scouts, he will become a member of a
patrol, which is a group of four to eight boys who enjoy Scouting
together. A Patrol Leader, elected by the patrol members, will help plan
the exciting things that the troop will do. The patrol does everything
together as a group.

The Troop:Each Scout troop is made up of numerous
patrols of Scouts. The troop members elect a Senior Patrol Leader who is
an experienced Scout and he is in charge of the troop. He runs the
meetings and activities. The Scoutmaster is the adult directly responsible
for the troop.

Advancement: The Scouting program provides many opportunities to learn skills and
take part in terrific adventures. It also recognizes achievements by
awarding badges of rank. The first three are Tenderfoot, Second Class and
First Class. These focus on the Scout learning the basic Scout skills to
prepare them to be a better camper, hiker and Scout. The next three ranks
are Star, Life and Eagle. These focus on advanced skills learned from
earning various merit badges and troop leadership positions.

The Troop Meeting:Troop meetings are held once a week at the troop meeting location (ex:
church basement, school gym, etc.). The meeting is run by the Senior
Patrol Leader and consists for five parts (although each troop is run
slightly differently).

Pre-Opening -
This is the part of the meeting that occurs as the Scouts arrive. It
could consist of a game, preparing for the next trip, working on
advancement, etc.

Opening -
The official start of the meeting includes a flag ceremony and patrol
reports.

Skill Session -
This consists of a demonstration or guest speaker on various Scout
related topics.

Inter-Patrol Activity -
This can be a troop game, contest or other activity.

Patrol Meeting -
At this point each patrol retreats into their corner where they take
attendance, collect dues and discuss patrol business such as planning
for the next trip or activity.

Closing -
Final announcements are made and any badges or awards earned are
presented.

Trips/Camping

A major part of the Scouting
experience is the camping and outings that take place on a regular
basis. These unique experiences are often an opportunity that the
Scout would not ever get to have on his own.

Day Trips -
Most troops go on a monthly trip on a Saturday or Sunday to a
museum, zoo, attraction or other activity.

Camping Trips -
Most active troops camp year round on a monthly basis. In warm weather
they stay in tents and cook over a campfire. In cool weather they may
choose to stay in a lean-to (a 3-sided wooden shelter) and in winter
cabin facilities with heat and a kitchen are used.

The ScoutingBSA.org web site is a
legacy site of the Viking Council BSA, now Northern Star Council.
This site was the original council site and was active from 1996 to
2002 and run by volunteers. As the web became more important to
Scouting, the council took over with paid staff. This site is no
longer maintained but is an interesting snapshot of an early Scouting
web site. You can share your comments using our
on-line form or
send a message to the Webmaster. Thank you
for visiting!